Groundwork Applauds Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’ Bill to Extend Federal Unemployment Benefits

September 15, 2021

This week, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez will introduce a new bill to extend federal unemployment benefits. The federal unemployment benefits expired on Sept. 6 — leaving millions of Americans without this essential lifeline. If passed, the enhanced jobless aid would be retroactive to Sept. 6 and extended until Feb. 1, 2022. 

Dr. Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at Groundwork Collaborative, responded to the news with the following statement:

“Allowing unemployment benefits to lapse when so many workers and families are still suffering from the devastating health and economic effects of the pandemic was a colossal mistake. With Black unemployment still at crisis levels and the Delta variant surging, we simply cannot afford to turn our backs on the workers, families, and communities who power our economy. We have a real opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the Great Recession and drive an economic recovery that works for all families – and this legislation would bring us one important step closer to that.

“We urge Congress to extend these lifesaving benefits without delay.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

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About Groundwork Collaborative

The Groundwork Collaborative’s mission is to advance an economic vision for strong, broadly shared prosperity and true opportunity for all. Learn more at https://groundworkcollaborative.org/ and follow us on Twitter @groundwork.